


Sonata

by Lafeae



Series: Domestic Fluff Fics [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Music, Piano
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:09:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23538892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lafeae/pseuds/Lafeae
Summary: Joey didn’t know that Kaiba could play the piano, but he was more than happy to listen.
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Series: Domestic Fluff Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1693936
Comments: 13
Kudos: 56





	Sonata

**Author's Note:**

> Making fluff everywhere we go wo-ah.

The piano in the parlour blended in. It was big; big enough to take up half the room, and yet it blended in with the wallpaper. Like it was another chair for the nonexistent guests at the Kaiba estate. Joey only thought about it when he rammed his toe into it rushing to turn on the television. 

“Stupid piece of useless...” he muttered, not initially thinking about it. But even after he tuned into the newest episode of his and Mokuba’s shared drama, (“telenovela, Joey, it’s a Spanish soap opera”) he kept looking at the piano out of the corner of his eye. It didn’t look like it had been touched in years. Well, okay, the maid probably cleaned it, but other than that, it was used as a shelf. Books, plates, photographs, magazines. He almost felt sorry for the thing, it was just an ostentatious living room ornament. 

The show ended on another cliffhanger, and Joey couldn’t plop down on the bench faster. He swept everything off the lid, most of which were Mokuba’s hair ties that went missing from blending in with the black lacquer. He’d have to tell the kid later; for now, he poked the keys. One at time, discordant. 

“Maybe it’s broken,” Joey mused, jamming every finger down on the keys dramatically. “Dun, dun, dun. And Gabriella’s gonna come home findin’ Carlos’s been cheatin’ on her with her half-sister Yasmin. ‘How could you?’ she’s gonna yell. An’ Carlos is gonna be like: ‘This isn’t what it looks like, my little flower. Mi flora.’ Yeah, like that.” He continued to thunk down the keys as he spoke, playing each note out for dialogue. They were heavier than he thought. 

“Are you having fun?” 

Joey shrieked, biting his own tongue, before looking over his shoulder. “I gotta put a bell on you,” he said as Kaiba floated closer. He slammed the lid closed. “I wasn’t doin’ nothin’.” 

“No, clearly not.” 

“It was the picture ghosts.” 

“The picture ghosts.” Kaiba rested his hand on Joey’s shoulder. He gazed around the austere walls, clean of anything even resembling a painting. “Don’t be ridiculous, they don’t know how to play the piano.”

Joey went to shrug, but didn’t want to roll Kaiba’s hand off. It was warm, and massaged his shoulder ever so lightly, playfully. “That makes two of us then,” he murmured as Kaiba rounded him and slid onto the bench. “I mean, I think I can play Chopsticks. Wanna hear?” 

“Do I have a choice?” 

Kaiba was right. Joey flung the lid up and began banging on the keys with his pointer fingers, thinking down the double notes until he hit the point that he forgot how fast he was supposed to go and they slipped down the keys at random. 

“Beautiful,” Kaiba said flatly. 

“It’s what I got. Never learned more than the recorder, an’ I’m pretty sure that’s not exactly concert ready, neither.” Joey slid over as Kaiba hip-checked him twice for more room. Teetering on the edge of the bench, he leaned forward as Kaiba plucked away at several notes. “You gonna show me how perfect ya are at this?” 

“Hmph.” 

A few gentle notes came out. Nothing Joey recognised. It deep but quaint, like he’d thrown open the French doors and walked—no, strolled—into the estate’s backyard. The grass was up to his knees, his fingers flittered through it, rough but easy-going. It smelled clean, and there was sun on his face. He didn’t know where he was walking, but Kaiba brushed up beside him. They kept a steady pace and walked towards the endless horizon line, where the backyard ended and the cliffs overtook it. Water crashed onto rocks and hissed all the way down. There were boats where he never saw them, old fishing boats with colourful sails. He pointed at them and said something to Kaiba, something he could ever make it (maybe it was in Spanish, and that’s why he couldn’t understand it) and Kaiba grinned wider than usual. 

An off note. 

Joey looked over, not realising he’d closed his eyes for the brisk walk. Kaiba’s hands were suspended over the keys while he reconfigured where he was. 

“That was nice,” Joey said. 

“I don’t remember the whole song,” Kaiba replied. “I’m rusty.” 

“What ya remembered was nice. When did ya learn piano?” 

Kaiba shook his head. “It was a passing lesson, that’s all,” he said, and Joey knew not to prod much more. It’d end up in a fight. 

“Well, I thought it sounded good. Not that I really know about music, but ya sure play a helluva lot better than I do,” Joey replied, reasoning that music was meant for fun and to make you feel something, anyways. “Will ya play it again?” 

Kaiba scoffed. “I’ll play something else, instead.” 

“No.” Joey stopped him as his fingers hit a few keys lightly. “The one before.” 

“Why?” 

“Because.” 

“Because isn’t an answer.” 

“Because I liked where it was going. I was thinkin’...,” Joey paused, a little exasperated. Embarrassment bloomed in his chest, because if he explained to Kaiba what he imagined, he would probably be called stupid. “I was jus’ thinkin’ while you were playin’. Can’t I give ya a compliment for likin’ somethin’? Geez.” 

It was hopeless. Joey went to leave, knowing that he needed to start messaging Mokuba about today’s episode before the kid had a conniption fit. But he was stalled by the Kaiba’s little irritated sigh and the keys being plucked again. 

Joey drifted back down. 

He watched Kaiba’s hands, his gracefully long fingers and half-hummed along to the melody. He began to pantomime the brunet’s motions, stretching his fingers until the skin between them hurt. Halfway through the song, Kaiba paused and stood up. 

“Hey, you—,” 

Kaiba pressed his front against Joey’s back and rested his palms over the backs of Joey’s hand. Methodically, he lined their fingers up and began plucking at the keys. One at a time, moving Joey’s hands. Somewhere in his mind, he knew he wasn’t playing. But he was tricked by the cocoon that Kaiba had formed around him. Arms over shoulders. Chest to back. Hands on hands. Joey leaned his head back into Kaiba’s chest and thought he could hear a heart thumping. 

“Nervous?” Joey asked. 

“No. Pay attention.” 

Letting out a one-breath laugh, Joey muttered, “A’right, a’right,” and tried to remember every flinch of muscle. He knew he would forget, and as soon as the song was over, every note fell out his ear. Kaiba wrapping around him, embracing him, it made him forget. He rocked back and forth, humming pieces of the song. “I did pretty good.” 

“Adequate.” 

“C’mon, I complimented you.” 

“Adequate is a compliment.”

Frustrated, Joey burst up from the cocoon and kissed Kaiba on the lips. “How ‘bout that? Was that good?” 

“What do you think?” Kaiba replied cheekily. 

“Mmm...prolly adequate, so we oughta try it again.” 

Joey would have been alright if they practiced for the perfect kiss all night.

**Author's Note:**

> There was a song I was listening to ‘Early Morning Range’ by George Winston. It’s a piano solo song, it’s pretty short, but it sort got me through the section. It’s prolly not what Kaiba’s playing, you can decide for yourselves, but it’s quaint to say the least. 
> 
> Thank you so much, I hope you enjoyed! Tell me what you think :3


End file.
